Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald is in the midst of divorce proceedings with her husband.

Boggs McDonald's husband, Steven McDonald, filed for divorce June 5, according to Clark County Family Court records.

Boggs McDonald was on vacation and unavailable for comment, county spokesman Erik Pappa said Thursday.

Steven McDonald, a law clerk for local attorney Emily McFarling, declined to comment.

Attorneys for the couple appeared at a closed hearing Wednesday before Family Court Judge Nicholas Del Vecchio at which Boggs McDonald was seeking exclusive possession of their home.

The outcome of that hearing is unclear as all documents associated with the case have been ordered sealed by the judge, which is not uncommon in divorce cases. Family court judges typically seal divorce case records at the request of either spouse.

"She's not being shown any preferential treatment because of her position," said Michael Sommermeyer, a spokesman for the court system.

Boggs McDonald, who is Catholic, has made her faith a key part of her political life.

During her unsuccessful 2001 bid for Congress, Boggs McDonald concluded her campaign kickoff by singing with her church choir from St. James the Apostle Catholic Church. While serving on the Las Vegas City Council in 2002, she raised eyebrows by telling critics from the council dais, "I send you right back into the fire in the name of Jesus Christ."

She has also served on the board of directors for Catholic Charities.

Although the church takes a dim view of divorce, the commissioner's likely opponent in the November election said she did not believe the couple's separation will be a campaign issue.

"That's personal between two people," said Clark County School Board Trustee Susan Brager, the most prominent Democrat running to unseat Boggs McDonald, a Republican. "That's not something that in any way would be an issue in the race as far as I'm concerned."

Her divorce will be more of an issue for the Catholic Church, said theology expert Jimmy Akin, director of apologetics for Catholic Answers, North America's largest layman-operated Catholic evangelism ministry.

"The parties have made a commitment to each other and the church takes a very dim view of divorce," Akin said from his office in San Jose, Calif. "Even if they obtain a civil divorce, that does not affect the church's view of their marriage."

However, the church recognizes some instances where divorce is appropriate and an ecclesiastical tribunal grants an annulment.

"There can be grave reasons why partners need to separate," said Akin, author of the 2005 book "Annulments: What You Need to Know."

Such instances include "if it's a danger to live with that person, if a spouse is a child molester of your children, if a spouse is prone to violent fits of rage, if a spouse is a constant adulterer, anything that would gravely damage the ordinary married couple," he said.